Penetration Cabernet and a Night at the Hood River Hotel: A perfect recipe for our first "Naked Baby"

When Sean and Dana Griffin can scrape together time from the demands of running a furniture store, they love to escape to Hood River and rekindle their relationship – with each other, and Naked Winery. Three years ago, they headed east from their home in the Portland suburb of Gresham, checked in to their room at the historic Hood River Hotel, and walked the two short blocks to Naked's tasting room.

Photo: Sean & Dana Griffin with Maya

So began the fateful evening that led, nine months later, to the arrival of what Sean affectionately calls their “Naked Baby.” As good things often do, it all began with a little Penetration – Naked's Penetration Cabernet Sauvignon, to be more precise.

“We are members of Club Naked, and we had a discount, so we got a bottle,” Dana recalls. “Then we had another. We went for dinner, and we thought, Let's try and have a baby.”

Bingo.

Now 2.5 years old, daughter Maya is the beautiful result of the marriage between two people, an elegant Bordeaux varietal, and nature. “We traced it back from her birth date,” Dana says. “You figure out your date. We're pretty sure it was that night that she was conceived.”

Photo: Maya Griffen and Staffer Alena Lewis

When they're not chasing Maya around, they share ownership chores at Portland Furniture in Northwest Portland. They bought the store in 2005. Family is pretty important to their relationship. Dana's older sister was friends with Sean, which is how Dana got to know him in the first place. He was six years older. Dana says she “grew into him.”

Now they're thinking about having a second child. Are they thinking about following the same Naked path to parenthood? “It wouldn't be a bad idea,” Dana says. “We'll give it a shot.” She says Sean would love a boy, “but either way, we're both fine with it.” After a second, though, she let her thrifty side speak: “But two girls would be more affordable.”